Stand - He now turns his speech to the people, and gives them counsel; by a metaphor taken from travellers, that being in doubt of their way, stand still, and consider, whether the direction they have received from some false guide, be right or not.
Trumpet - The voice of his prophet, intimating his loud crying upon the account of eminent danger.
Nations - He calls upon the nations round about to be spectators of his severity against Judah. What - The greatness of their punishment, as the effect of the greatness of their sins.
Sheba - A country in Arabia Faelix, to which country frankincense was peculiar. The sweet cane - The same that is mentioned as an ingredient in the holy oil, Exod 30:23. To what purpose art thou at this trouble and charge to fetch these ingredients for thy incense.
I will say - I will suffer such things to be laid in their way, as shall be the occasion of their destruction. The neighbour - Men of all sorts and conditions.
Behold - God shall stir up the Chaldeans like a great storm. The sides - The uttermost parts of the Babylonian territories.
We - The prophet personates the peoples affections.
Go not forth - Expressing the great danger that there would be everywhere.
Gird thee - The prophet calls upon them to mourn in the deepest manner.
I have set thee - Here God speaks by way of encouragement to the prophet, and tells him, he had made him a fortified tower, that he might be safe, notwithstanding all the attempts against him. And try - As refiners do metals; hereby be is encouraged to reprove them more freely, God will give him prudence to see what is amiss, and undauntedness to oppose it.
The bellows - The prophet prosecutes his metaphor taken from refining of metals, intimating, that the prophets had spent their breath to no purpose, and their strength was consumed by their labour. The lead - The judgments which were heavy, as lead upon them, are all wasted, and do no good. In vain - Let the artist use his greatest skill and industry, yet is it all in vain.
Refuse - Such as will be rejected in payments.
The gate - The east gate, which was the publick place of going out and coming in, and where the people were then wont to assemble. Proclaim - Proclaiming signifies both the authority by which he spake, and the divulging of what he spake plainly and boldly; possibly, it might be at some publick time, when all the males were to meet.
Saying - Because this was God's house, they flattered themselves that he would not suffer the Chaldeans to destroy it, therefore the prophet cautions them not to deceive themselves, trusting to the temple and its buildings, as the two courts and house, and holy of holies implied in the word these, which he doth as it were point to with his finger. The emphasis, in this threefold repetition, seems to relate to the confident, and reiterated boasts of the temple, that were in their mouths. These - The prophet standing in the gate at which the people entered, as it were, points at the several buildings pertaining to the temple.
Oppress not - Here they are cautioned against three sins, that this people were generally addicted to, oppression, blood, and idolatry; and instances in the worst of oppressions, of such as God hath more especially taken into his immediate protection.
Will ye steal - Can you think that this can be grateful to me, or advantageous to yourselves, to frequent my house, and yet retain these odious sins. Whom - Such as they had set up new, and never had any experience of, and therefore could have no reason to serve them.
Delivered - After they had appeared before God with their sacrifices, they thought they were privileged to return to all those wickednesses.
A den - Do you look upon this house as a sanctuary for robbers and murderers.
Shiloh - A place in the tribe of Ephraim. Where - Where I did at first give you the pledges of my presence. What I did - He utterly forsook it.
Even - The ten tribes.
Pray not - Certainly the prophet did pray that God would save a remnant, though not that he would revoke his decree; or save the body of them.
The children - Here God shews how busily they are employed from the youngest to the oldest for their idolatry. The queen - As the sun was looked upon as king, so the moon as the queen of heaven.
Shall not be quenched - He follows the threatening with shewing his resolution is not to be revoked.
Put - Ironical words, take those that are peculiar, and to be all burnt to me, and do what you will with them, I will have none of them. To your sacrifices - That part of your sacrifices, which you are allowed to eat, they are but as profane food.
For - God doth not condemn these offerings, save only comparatively in respect of obedience, not so much these, as obeying his commands.
Since the day - The church of God hath never wanted teachers raised up and sent by God.
Cut off - There is no believing them in any thing they say.
Cut off thine hair - This was an usual token of sorrow among the Jews. On high places - Upon the high places where thou wentest a whoring from me. The generation - A generation destined to the wrath of God.
In the house - It was not enough to have their idols abroad in the hills and groves, but they must bring them into God's house.
Tophet - It comes from Toph, a drum, because they beat drums to drown the children's screeches, when they burnt them in sacrifice upon the altars, called here high places, to Moloch. Tophet was situate in a pleasant valley near Jerusalem, a place in the possession of the children of one Hinnom, Josh 15:8.
The bones - This denotes the utter desolation of the city, not only rasing the walls, but turning up the very sepulchres which were accounted sacred, and not to be violated.
Not arise - Will they never think of rising again? Not return - Will he wander for ever?
Deceit - Their false prophets, encouraging themselves in their wickedness, and pleasing themselves, that their miseries should not come upon them.
Appointed time - The seasons of her going and coming. The judgment - God's vengeance, hovering over Jerusalem, and Judea.
How - These things considered where is your wisdom? He speaks to the whole body of the people. The Lord - This may have a more special eye to the priests. In vain - For any use they made of it; neither need it ever have been copied out by the scribe. A scribe was a teacher, one well versed in the scripture, or esteemed to be so.
Pass away - Shall be taken away by their enemies.
Why - The people at length seem to bethink themselves, and thus to bespeak each other. Silent - Keep close within our walls.
The snorting - The fury of the Chaldeans march is described by the snorting of their horses, which is a noise they make through their nostrils. Heard - Even to Jerusalem. Have devoured - It is spoken in a prophetical style, who use to express the certainty of what shall be, as if it actually were already.
Shall bite - There will be no appeasing their fury by any method.
Sorrow - The prophet now seems to speak, how greatly the calamity of this people affected him.
Why - As if God should seem to reply; let them not think it strange, seeing they have turned their backs upon me, and trusted to idols.
Am I hurt - The prophet here shews how deeply he is affected with the peoples misery. Black - I am as those that are clad in deep mourning.
A lodging place - Some retiring place, though it were but some mean hut in the wilderness.
Weary - They use industry, and contrivance in it, they spare no labour.
Try them - By melting them, I will bring upon them, the fire of the Chaldean war, that shall purge away those deceits in which they trust, that the remnant may be purified. For how - I have tried all other means.